Fort Boise Military Reserve Cemetery

GPS Coordinates: 43.623610, -116.179012
County: Ada
Record count: 267

Ownership: City of Boise

Directions: Located within Fort Boise Military Reserve, the cemetery sits along the north-west side of Mountain Cove Rd, along the hiking trails.

Background: Originally located a half mile south at the old Boise Barracks, the Fort Boise Military Reserve Cemetery was moved to this location in 1906 after a flash flood roared down Cottonwood Creek causing major damage and erosion to the graves. The officer in charge of the move described the new location, about a half mile north, as somewhat "desirable" and somewhat "level." Graves included those of enlisted men, officers, some officers’ families, and civilians.

A short time later, additional graves were discovered at the original site by soldiers using the old cemetery as a target range. Military activity was halted until these graves were disinterred and moved to the new cemetery location. Additional burials took place -- along with disinterments -- through the spring of 1913 when the Boise Barracks were closed.

Shortly after World War II, the Department of Veterans Affairs decided to close many of their small cemeteries due to funding. However, the historic Fort Boise Military Cemetery was left undisturbed by the request of the U.S. Department of the Army. In 1947 the cemetery was deeded to the City of Boise with the understanding that the cemetery would be maintained as an historic site and kept in its natural state, similar to how it looked at the turn of the century.

Three more unknown people were given solders' burials at the cemetery in 1998. The military ceremony conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs took place on Memorial Day, 1998. The three, presumed to be Civil War veterans, were unearthed during flood control excavation in the vicinity of the original cemetery. Today a total 252 enlisted men, officers, officers' family members, and civilians are laid to rest at the Fort Boise Military Reserve Cemetery.

Burial Records

• View All Transcriptions Combined, 267 records
  • City of Boise Records, by Interment.net, December 22, 2019, (252 records)
  • Veterans Affairs Database, by Interment.net, April 17, 2025, (15 records)

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